The Gremlin Meets The Teacher
by Kat A. Fonell
Summary: How Jimmy and Lee first met!


**THE GREMLIN MEETS THE TEACHER**

**BY KAT A. FONELL**

**PLEASE REVIEW**

Every morning before work I would go to a local coffee shop, and I would order a small coffee, and a Boston cream donut. I would sit in a corner of the coffee shop and I would do the crossword in the newspaper. Across the room at the coffee shop there always sat a beautiful Asian woman, so I would do the crossword puzzle occasionally glancing over at the gorgeous woman. One day I was so focused on my puzzle, my head was down when someone asked, "Do you have a pen that I could borrow?" I looked up and the woman was standing right in front of me, "So do you?"

"Oh yes I do," I pulled a pen out of my front shirt pocket and I handed it to her.

"Thanks," she smiled and walked back to her table.

So for the next couple of weeks when I would go to the coffee shop and I ordered my usual, she was always there as well. But, the only different thing I would do was I would leave a pen at the table where she would sit. Every time when she came in I would look up, and when she noticed the pen she would smile and sit down and like me she would start the crossword puzzle. This continued going on for a while, every single day. Then on Sunday my head was down and I was busy with my New York Times crossword puzzle. I was struggling with six down, "Do you need some help with that?" I looked up into the eyes of the beautiful Asian woman. "O-okay," I choked out. She smiled and sat down next to me with her coffee in one hand and a chocolate chip muffin in the other. She set her food and drink aside and said, "Here let me," and she took the page from me and started to fill in some of the clues then she handed it back to me and said, "Now you try, but read my answers to make sure they are right." I smiled at her and I looked at the clues she answered and on one line said 'Would you' the next read 'Like to' and the last read 'Go out with me sometime?' I gazed into her eyes and said, "I would love too..."

"Michelle, Michelle Lee."

"James, Jimmy Palmer."

"Well it is really nice to meet you Jimmy, finally."

"And it is also really nice to meet you,and what do you mean finally?"

She grinned, "Well I always knew you were looking at me and I figured out it was you that always left a pen at the table I sat at."

I grinned," Guilty as charged. So I would love to go out with you, I have work but can I pick you up tomorrow at seven?"

"That would be great, where do you work?"

"I work as an assistant medical examiner at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. What do you do for a job?"

"Oh me? I am a fifth grade elementary teacher."

I was gazing into her eyes, and it seemed that in the distant a sweet music melody started playing, "Um Jimmy your phone is ringing."

"Oh sorry," I pulled my cell out and checked the caller ID, it was work, "Excuse me," she smiled, and I answered my phone, after a minute I hung up.

"Duty calling?" she asked smiling.

"Yep, so I will pick you up seven."

"Ok I will see you then Jimmy." She leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek and I blushed and said, "Bye Michelle."

The next day I could not wait until seven, we had agreed to break our routine and not see each other until seven, so that meant no coffee shop. I went to work as usual and come five o clock I could not focus on my work any longer because I could not wait for my date, I had just finished assisting Dr. Mallard in an autopsy, "Um Doctor?"

"Why yes Mr. Palmer."

"Doctor I was just wondering if I could go? I have to be somewhere."

"Why of course Mr. Palmer, I am just finishing up as well, so James what are you doing that has been keeping your mind off your work?"

"Well sir I have met someone."

"Oh I see, I am really happy for you Jimmy." I smiled, "What?"

"You called me Jimmy."

"Oh I guess I did, now run along and have a good time."

"Thank you doctor, I will."

"Oh and Jimmy take this," he handed me a blue bow tie with red polka dots.

"Why?"

"I call it my lucky bow tie."

"Thanks Ducky."

I was smiling as I backed into the elevator and I closed the doors, "What are you grinning at Autopsy Gremlin?"

I spun around, "Um n-n-nothing T-Tony." Tony and Ziva were standing there.

"Sure you expect me to believe you?"

"He does not need to tell you every little thing Tony."

"Thank you Ziva."

"It is my pleasure Jimmy." The elevator doors finally opened, leaving me at the parking garage, I left quickly before Tony could say anything. I made my way to my Honda (Acura) Integra. I drove home to get ready, when I got home I showered and I got dressed in a tuxedo and a bow tie Ducky had given me. On the way to Michelle's house I stopped at A Bunch O' Flowers, a flower shop ten minutes away from my house, I pulled my car in her driveway and turned off the ignition, I was pretty nervous so I wiped the sweat off my forehead and I grabbed the roses and made my way up to her door. I rang her doorbell and within seconds the large mahogany door was opened. Michelle was smiling, "Come in Jimmy." she was wearing a beautiful red flowered dress that went just past her knees.

I was smiling at her, "Hi Michelle, oh these are for you," I handed her the flowers.

"Thank you, let me just go put these in water then we can leave." She left the room for a minute, and returned, "Ok lets go," she came over and took my hand and we walked out to my car, I opened her door for her then I went around to my side and got in. "So Jimmy where are we going?"

"To where we first met." I grinned at her and she smiled back and I drove to the coffee shop, our coffee shop. I parked the car and I got out and went around her side and opened the door, "But Jimmy aren't they closed?"

"Not tonight, babe, because tonight is a special night." she smiled that gorgeous smile I helped her out of the car and I locked my arm in hers, we walked across the street to the coffee shop on a red carpet. When we entered the little coffee shop she was staring in awe at how the place was decorated, streamers were hanging from the ceiling, there were candles lit everywhere, and roses everywhere, and where the red carpet led was to a table that seats two with two candles and a single rose, and two crossword puzzles and two pens. That was how we started as a couple a lone crossword puzzle and a pen.

"Oh Jimmy did you do all this?"

"Yes I did for you babe, I wanted to do something special for you." She kissed my cheek and I blushed "I love it honey, thank you."

I went over and pulled out her chair and she sat down and then I sat down. "What should we have Jimmy?"

" I do not know, what would you like?"

"Well they can't have much I mean it is a bakery."

"Au contraire Michelle, I have hired a chef this evening he can make whatever you would like."

" Well if that Is the case I will have the spaghetti and meatballs, what about you Jimmy?"

" Hmm I guess I will have the steak." Just then one the regular waiters from the bakery came over, his name was Ryan, here asked us where we wanted and we told him, and he told us that the world be back with our order momentarily. Another person that works at the bakery that we know, her name is Salene, and she came over and poured us each, a glass of champagne. We thanked her and only seconds later Ryan returned with our food, and he placed our food down in front of us. We started eating our food, and occasionally we would stop and gaze into each others eyes, and smile. I then stood up and walked to her side of the table, and her eyes followed me. I pulled a black velvet box out of my pocket, and I got down on one knee and opened the box. She gasped and I said, "Michelle Elizabeth Lee will you marry me? But before you answer listen to this quote by A.A. Milne, that expresses my love for you, If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

She stood up with tears in her eyes, and she leaped in my arms, "Oh Jimmy of course I will marry you, the day I met you I knew you were the one for me." I stood up as Salene flipped on the boom box to the song The dance by Garth Brooks. "Michelle may I have this dance?"

"Of course Jimmy you can have this one, and many more to come." I took her into the middle of the coffee shop, and held her waist, as she put her hands around my neck, and we danced.


End file.
